In This Issue
• Carl Buchan Earns the Title of International Masters Regatta Champion
• A Grand Day In A Grand Harbour
• The Green-Eyed Monster
• Girls on Film retains 5.5 Metre Alpen Cup at Torbole
• iQFOIL European Championships
• 18ft Skiffs Spring Championship, Races 1 and 2
• What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine
• 2022 Finn Gold Cup to be held at Malcesine
• Vendee Globe 2024: The Notice Of Race Explained
• Featured Brokerage:
• • SW78 Elise Whisper
• • Infiniti 52R
• • GP42 - "Redshift"
• The Last Word: St. Augustine

Brought to you by Seahorse magazine and YachtScoring.com EuroSail News is a digest of sailing news and opinions, regatta results, new boat and gear information and letters from sailors -- with a European emphasis. Contributions welcome, send to

Carl Buchan Earns the Title of International Masters Regatta Champion
San Diego, California, USA: Who more fitting to earn the championship title at this year's International Masters Regatta than the 2021 National Sailing Hall of Fame inductee himself, Carl Buchan. Buchan has dedicated a significant amount of his life to the sport and his experience was apparent in this weekend's regatta. It only makes sense that a sailor with so much success never stops fighting for the win.

Buchan didn't start the regatta with any advantages. Similar to the rest of the fleet on day one, his results were all over the board. After the first day of racing with a 5, 7, 1, 10, Buchan only returned to the course with more ambition. On day two, the skipper and his team took 3 bullets and a 4. After finishes of 3, 5, 1 today, the final day of the regatta, Buchan graciously offered his boat in the last rotation to take the place of a breakdown rather than use the untested spare boat. Such are the hallmarks of a Hall of Fame sailor.

However, Buchan wasn't without a fight from the rest of the competition, especially Rod Davis. Davis beat Buchan in the first race of the day, race nine, by one point and never let down. Davis and Buchan also seemed to have sailed their own match race in race 10. Davis was a mere foot behind Buchan for the entire race and at the finish line. He really impressed the fleet in race 11. Davis and his crew started the race with an OCS, were last to round the weather mark, and still finished third. Unfortunately for Davis, it wasn't enough to beat Buchan on the scoresheet.

Honorable mention goes three of our past International Masters Regatta champions who each won a race today: 2016 Champion Bill Menninger (race 9 winner); 2019 Champion Andy Roy (race 11 winner); and 2017 Champion Bill Campbell (race 12 winner).

After Buchan retired from the regatta, the fight was on for second place. Davis and Campbell were only five points in reach and both were determined to win race twelve, the final race of the weekend. Campbell was able to hold his position in front of Davis from start to finish. Although the team claimed their one and only win of the regatta, Davis still beat them on the scoresheet and earned second place overall.

The overall top three results were:
Carl Buchan, 52 Points
Rod Davis, 57 Points
Bill Campbell, 61 Points

sdyc.org

A Grand Day In A Grand Harbour
1700 CEST The 42nd Rolex Middle Sea Race has so far lived up to expectations, putting on a sensational start. All 114 yachts got away cleanly in a fresh south-easterly breeze that built from 10-12 knots, in the confines of Grand Harbour, to 15 knots plus once past the outer breakwater. From the smallest to the largest, the slowest to the fastest, it was a magnificent sight. The impressive bastions of Valletta, Vittoriosa and Senglea providing a fitting setting for this highly competitive fleet, as cannon fire signalled each start.

The fleet is currently spread between Syracuse to the north and midway between Malta and Sicily, to the south. Jason Carroll's MOD70 Argo (USA) is leading on the water, with Skorpios, the ClubSwan 125, the first monohull. The race is on for the leaders to reach the Strait of Messina where the current is now heading north and turns foul just before 2100 CEST. The Maxi Multihulls are hoping to keep enough of the breeze to the east of Sicily to make a seamless trip into the Tyrrhenian Sea and into the brisk easterly established to the north around Stromboli. This morning, Will Oxley, navigator on Mitch Booth-led Comanche (CAY), was uncertain if the Maxi Monohulls would be able to take advantage of this window of opportunity, but still felt confident that a new race record is on the cards.

www.rolexmiddlesearace.com

* Jason Carroll's MOD70 Argo (USA) crossed the finish line of the 2021 Rolex Middle Sea Race at 20:39:28 CEST on Sunday 24 October to take Multihull Line Honours in an elapsed time of 33 hours 29 minutes 28 seconds.

Argo has smashed both the existing multihull record of 56 hours 31 minutes 31 seconds, set by Giovanni Soldini's Maserati Multi70 in 2020, and the outright race record of 47 hours 55 minutes 3 seconds, set by George David's 27.5m/90ft Rambler in 2007.

Argo crew: Jason Carroll, Weston Barlow, Chad Corning, Peter Cumming, Thierry Fouchier, Charlie Ogletree, Alister Richardson, Brian Thompson.

The Green-Eyed Monster
The Maxi fleet could not wait to get racing again but it was not long before the politics of envy reasserted themselves

Almost as if a cork had been removed from a very expensive bottle of champagne - or perhaps prosecco - the Maxi world burst back into life with the first really large inshore event for nearly two years. What better event than what has always been effectively the world championship of Maxi sailing, the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup.

Earlier in the year we, as co-organisers with the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, were expecting a lowish turnout for this event, in view of the ongoing Covid pandemic. There was apprehension verging on trepidation after the last-minute cancellation of the 2020 edition. Much careful preparation had been done covering all the potential restrictions, including national and local public health rules. The atmosphere in the days leading up to the event was electric. Many crews had come early for training having been so long away from the action; plus there were the new crew made necessary with travel from the isolated Antipodes having been made almost impossible.

With 44 boats the Maxi class was suddenly the largest we have ever had, having absorbed the larger Wallys who for the first time did not have the numbers for a separate class. This caused some anxiety before the event where some believed there could never be fair racing within the larger group. Initially we too were worried how it would turn out but were very keen to try it.

Full article online in the November issue of Seahorse

Girls on Film retains 5.5 Metre Alpen Cup at Torbole
With just one more race sailed on Saturday, Girls on Film (GBR 41, Peter Morton, Andrew Palfrey, Ben Cornish) has retained the 5.5 Metre Alpen Cup at Circolo Vela Torbole that they last won in 2019. John B (BAH 22, Gavin McKinney, Lars Horn Johannessen, Mathias Dahlman) placed second while Momo (SUI 229, Dieter Schoen, Fuitjof Kleen, Thomas Auracher) was third.

The final day started early in the half light before the sun peeked over the Garda mountains, while the northerly wind just seemed to strengthen during the morning. Initially held on shore for an hour, the fleet was sent out in a bitterly cold 18-20 knots with some bigger gusts causing a few problems. There was plenty of action.

While Girls on Film kept their eyes on Momo and John B, Ali Baba (BAH 23, Craig Symonette, Flavio Marazzi, William Alloway) had the best of the very shifty first beat to round ahead and lead all the way to take the win, while Girls on Film followed in a comfortable second, which as it turned out, was enough to take the series win.

Final results after 6 races
1. Girls on Film (GBR 41, Peter Morton, Andrew Palfrey, Ben Cornish) 9
2. John B (BAH 22, Gavin McKinney, Lars Horn Johannessen, Mathias Dahlman) 13
3. Momo (SUI 229, Dieter Schoen, Fuitjof Kleen, Thomas Auracher) 13
4. Ali-Baba (BAH 23, Craig Symonette, Flavio Marazzi, William Alloway) 19
5. Marie-Françoise XXII (SUI 232, Jürg Menzi, Jürgen Eiermann, Christof Wilke) 21
6. Otto (NOR 68, Bent Christian Wilhelmsen, Lasse Berthelsen,Luka Strahovnik) 23
7. Ali Baba (GER 84, Richter Wolf-Eberhard, Beata Kallkowski, Wolfgang Schreiber, Oliver WeiB) 35
8. Forza del Destino (SUI 211, Prapopoulos George, Simon Pfander, Gil Pfander) 36
9. New Moon II (BAH 24, Mark Holowesko, Christoph Burger, Peter Vlasov) 50

Event website and results

5.5class.org

iQFOIL European Championships
There were no races on the first day of the iQFOIL European Championships. The wind was between 3-7 kts and pretty inconsistent for most of the day.

As a result, the sailors and coaches remained on the ground waiting all day but without wasting their time.

Nicolas Huguet, trainer:

"It's part of the game, everyone is used to it and you have to see the good sides too. During these long moments on land, we take the opportunity to discuss with the coaches of the different nations. See what other teams plan to do in the next few months and discuss common projects.

Full results

18ft Skiffs Spring Championship, Races 1 and 2
Click on image for photo gallery.

Sydney Harbour: The Australian 18 Footers League's 2021-2022 18ft Skiff racing season began on Sydney Harbour today when the club staged Races 1 and 2 of the annual seven-race Spring Championship series.

In ideal 10-12 knot SE winds, the day was a triumph for a crew having its first race in the 18s, and for a brand new sponsor, Balmain Slake, when the team took out both races in an eye-opening performance.

Henry Larkings, Max Paul and Flynn Twomey had Balmain Slake close to the lead throughout both races but had to come from behind to take the honours.

Balmain Slake leads the points table on two points, followed by Rag & Famish Hotel on five points,

There is no discarding of points in this championship. All seven results will be counted.

With a number of new sponsors and teams joining many of last year's teams, the club's fleet will number around 20 boats regularly on the start line as the season moves through to the 2022 JJ Giltinan world Championship next March.

Race 3 of the Spring Championship, in conjunction with Race 1 of the Club Championship, will be conducted next Sunday. -- Frank Quealey

www.18footers.com

Seahorse November 2021
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine

Nail-biting anticipation
...is no overstatement when it comes to awaiting the arrival in Europe for sea trials of the first DSS-equipped - unarguably dramatic and beautiful - Infiniti 52 which was recently completed at Composite Builders in Michigan

Stiffer, lighter, faster
No question Elan Yachts are shooting ahead in the world of luxury performance sailing and their latest offering is something very special indeed

Seahorse build table - Quiet success
... and, yes, in this field we are 100 per cent biased

Don't treat with care
No longer does the use of bio-resins and fibre in composite manufacturing mean increased production costs because of the need for much more delicate material handling

Sailor of the Month
Either will be among our most popular winners

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2022 Finn Gold Cup to be held at Malcesine
The International Finn Class and Fragila Vela Malcesine are delighted to announce that the 2022 Finn Gold Cup will be held at Malcesine on Lake Garda, Italy, from 15-21 May.

Following its exclusion from the Olympic Games the Finn class is determined to maintain the Finn Gold Cup as its pinnacle event, and for it to remain attractive to top sailors across the world. For 2022 the class chose Lake Garda to ensure the event was held at a popular venue that was accessible and attractive to the majority of Finn sailors.

Malcesine has a long history of Finn class sailing. The annual International Finn Cup is the oldest regatta run by the club, having been run for 41 years, while the Andrea Menoni Trophy has now been running for 18 years. The club has also twice hosted the Finn European Championship, in 1979 and 2001.

Many will also remember the 2016 Finn World Masters held at Torbole on Lake Garda, which attracted 355 Finns, the largest ever Finn event. That was won by Rafa Trujillo, from Spain, now IFA's Vice President Sailing, who prioritised Malcesine as the venue for next's year's world championship.

However, surprisingly, 2022 will be the first time that the Finn Gold Cup has ever been held on Lake Garda.

Further details and the Notice of Race will be published as soon as possible. -- Robert Deaves

finnclass.org

Vendee Globe 2024: The Notice Of Race Explained
The SAEM Vendee who are the organizers of the Vendee Globe, unveiled the notice of race for the 2024 edition on Thursday. It increases to 40 the number of entrants. Tip & Shaft gives you an overview and takes stock of the boats which might line up on the 10th edition's start line.

At a full three years before the start of the next Vendee Globe (November 10, 2024), the SAEM Vendee has unveiled the notice of race, that is some five months ahead of the previous edition. "Faced with the enthusiasm for these projects and the expectations of the skippers, we had to produce this document quickly to give them visibility. In addition, the Transat Jacques Vabre 2021 will allow them to earn miles, so we wanted the notice of race sorted before it", explains Alain Leboeuf, successor of Yves Auvinet at the head of the Vendee departmental council and president of the SAEM since this summer, to Tip & Shaft.

Unlike the previous edition, the organizers did not wait for the appointment of the race director, a call for tenders will be launched shortly. The Race Direction will be known two years before the start. They still relied on "part of the old race management team", according to Alain Leboeuf, but also worked with the Imoca class and its president, Antoine Mermod.

The main information in this notice of race is the enlargement of the maximum number of entries to 40 (compared to 34 in the 2020 edition which actually had 33 starters). "We decided to open things up a bit, but for reasons related to safety on the race, we had to set a limit, it was really these safety issues that set us at 40", continues Alain Leboeuf. "We also needed places at the dock on Les Sables d'Olonne to accommodate everyone. I asked the question to our services which carried out a feasibility study, we are now certain of being able to accommodate 40 boats on the pontoons we know and which will obviously be further reviewed."

This increase to 40 is necessarily good news for the candidates for the next Vendee Globe.

Full article in Tip & Shaft

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The Last Word
If thou shouldst say, 'It is enough, I have reached perfection,' all is lost. For it is the function of perfection to make one know one's imperfection. -- St. Augustine

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